Mounting arrangement for a skylight

ABSTRACT

A SKYLIGHT IS FASTENED TO A BASE DEFINING AN UPWARDLY DIRECTED OPENING IN A ROOF STRUCTURE BY MEANS OF C-SHAPED CLAMPS, EACH ASSEMBLED FROM TWO IDENTICAL J-SHAPED JAWS, SCREWS PASSING THROUGH LONGITUDINAL SLOTS IN THE LONGER LEGS OF THE JAWS, AND NUTS ON THE SCREWS. THE FREE END OF ONE JAW IS RECEIVED IN A RECESS OF A RECEPTACLE FIXEDLY ATTACHED TO THE RIM OF THE SKYLIGHT, AND THE FREE END OF THE OTHER JAW ABUTS AGAINST THE UNDERSIDE OF A RIM ON THE BASE, THE TWO FREE ENDS BEING OFFSET TRANSVERSELY OF THE COMMON DIRECTION OF ELONGATION OF THE LONGER LEGS TO EXERT A TORQUE ON THE SKYLIGHT IN A DIRECTION TO HOLD THE SAME DOWN.

Jan. 19, 1971 BQGAERT 3,555,752

7 MOUNTING ARRANGEMENT FOR A SKYLIGHT Filed Dec. 5, 1968 United States Patent 3,555,752 MOUNTING ARRANGEMENT FOR A SKYLIGHT Pierre Emmanuel E. J. Bogaert, Chalet du Dijk, Wemmel, Belgium Filed Dec. 5, 1968, Ser. No. 781,379 Claims priority, application Belgium, Jan. 25, 1968, 7 09,859/ 68 Int. Cl. B65d 45/16; E04d 13/03; E04h 7/18 US. Cl. 52-400 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A skylight is fastened to a base defining an upwardly directed opening in a roof structure by means of C-shaped clamps, each assembled from two identical I-shaped jaws, screws passing through longitudinal slots in the longer legs of the jaws, and nuts on the screws. The free end of one jaw is received in a recess of a receptacle fixedly attached to the rim of the skylight, and the free end of the other jaw abuts against the underside of a rim on the base, the two free ends being offset transversely of the common direction of elongation of the longer legs to exert a torque on the skylight in a direction to hold the same down.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to roof structures, more particularly to skylights, and to releasable fastening arrangements for attaching a skylight to a base which defines an upwardly directed opening.

It has been conventional heretofore to cover an upwardly directed opening in a roof base by means of a skylight which is fastened in position over the opening by means of bolts or studs, a gutter being provided between the skylight and its base, and a gasket being provided in the gutter. The known arrangements require repairs from time to time to restore the water tightness of the arrangement.

The base and the skylight normally are built of materials diifering greatly in coefiicients of thermal expansion, and normal changes in ambient temperature cause cracks to form at the connection in the skylight or its base.

A primary object of the invention is the provision of a mounting arrangement which provides a safe connection between a skylight and its supporting structure, yet is flexible enough to yield as needed when the ambient temperature changes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION With this object and others in view, as will hereinafter become apparent, the invention provides a roof structure of the type described in which at least two, and preferably more C-shaped clamps are spaced about the opening in the base. Each clamp includes two substantially J-shaped jaws whose longer leg portions are fastened to each other in a position in which they extend in a common direction, and are capable of moving relative to each other in that direction unless locked. The skylight and its base have respective rim portions adjacent the opening in the base and faces on the rim portions which are directed away from each other. The free ends of the shorter legs of the jaws move in respective parallel, transversely offset planes when the longer legs move relative to each other, and they abuttingly engage the aforementioned faces of the rim portions in the normal locked condition.

Other features and many of the advantages of this invention will readily become apparent as the same is better understood from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment when considered in connection with the appended drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing:

FIG. 1 shows a roof structure of the invention in fragmentary side-elevational section;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of a clamp in the structure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a detail of the device of FIG. 1 in rear elevational section;

FIG. 4 shows another detail of the device in the manner of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 shows a modified receptacle for use in the device of FIG. 1 in a perspective sectional view.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawing in detail, and initially to FIG. 1, there is seen as much of a roof structure of the invention as is needed for an understanding of the invention.

Two J-shaped sheet-metal jaws 1, 1' have longitudinal slots 2, 2' in their longer legs. The free end of the shorter leg of the jaw 1 is partly received in a recess of a receptacle 3 fixedly attached atop a horizontal rim which extends about a skylight 4 of generally circular shape in plan view, as is conventional, and only partly seen in the drawing. The free end of the shorter leg of the jaw 1 abuts against the underside of a rim 5 projecting outwardly from the skylight base 6 adjacent the opening in the latter which is covered by the skylight 4. Except for the free ends of their shorter legs, the two jaws 1, 1 are substantially identical in shape.

Two screws 7, 7' pass through the aligned slots 2, 2' in such a manner that the jaws 1, 1' may move relative to each other in the common direction of elongation of their longer legs unless locked to each other by nuts on the screws 7, 7'. A spacer 9, apertured in a non-illustrated manner to permit passage of the screws 7, 7' is interposed between the longer leg portions of the jaws. When the nuts are loosened on the screws 7, 7', and the longer legs of the jaws 1, 1' are shifted longitudinally relative to each other, the free ends of the shorter legs move in two planes parallel to the common direction of elongation of the longer legs and transversely offset because of the thickness of the sheet metal in the longer legs and the presence of the spacer 9, the bight portions of the two jaws 1, 1' being substantially identical in shape.

As is better seen in FIG. 3, the shorter leg of the jaw 1 has a free end which is rounded in a circular arc and thus tapers. The recess of the receptacle 3 in which the last-mentioned free end is received has a wall 10 of conforming, circularly arcuate cross section.

The jaw 1' has a shorter leg Whose free end is serrated, and the serrations 11 simultaneously engage the aforementioned underside of the rim 5 on the base 6.

A gasket ring 8 of open-celled polyurethane foam is interposed between the skylight 4 and the base 6 to provide a seal which prevents the entry of rain water and sharply limits the amount of air which may flow between the interior of the partly illustrated building and the ambient atmosphere through the opening in the base 6.

While only one C-shaped clamp 1, 1 has been shown in the drawing, it will be appreciated that as many clamps are distributed about the opening in the base 6 as are needed, not less than two being required under all conditions, and three or more being preferred.

In installing the skylight, the gasket ring 8 is first placed on the frustoconical top face of the base 6 which slopes outwardly from the periphery of the opening in the base. The skylight 4 has a complementary frustoconical bottom face which is placed on the ring 8. The clamps are thereafter applied to respective metallic receptacles 3 soldered to the outer rim of the skylight 4, or otherwise fixedly fastened thereto.

The nuts are initially kept loose enough on the screws 7, 7' to permit the jaws 1, 1' to be shifted relative to each other. The several clamps are gradually tightened and locked in the tightened condition until the gasket ring 8 is compressed to about one-half its thickness in the relaxed condition. Under such compressive strain, it still provides a resilient or floating support for the skylight 4, and its pores are sufficiently open to permit condensate accumulating on the inner surfaces of the skylight to seep outward between the frustoconical surfaces of the latter and of the base 6.

At each clamping point, the jaws 1, 1 exert a torque on the skylight 4 which tends to push the rim supporting the receptacle 3 toward the base 6 because the plane of movement of the shorter leg on the jaw 1 is offset toward the skylight axis relative to the plane of movement of the shorter leg on the jaw 1. The jaws are under stress when clamped, and the forces exerted by the clamp on the roof structure are due to the resilient reaction of the sheet metal in the jaws 1, 1.

The clamping arrangement is capable of two independent adjustments. The forces exerted by the free ends of the jaws 1, 1 can be adjusted by shifting the jaws longitudinally of their longer legs. The torque resulting from these forces can be modified by varying the offset of the two planes of movement or of applied force of the two shorter legs, as by replacing the spacer 9 by a spacer of different thickness, thereby varying the reponse of the clamps to wind pressure on the skylight.

The forces exerted on the receptacles 3 are such as to hold the receptacles to the skylight rim. While it is normally more convenient to fasten each receptacle to the skylight as by soldering, the bond between the receptacle and the skylight may be relatively weak. Because of the arcuately tapering shape of the free end of the jaw 1, as seen in FIG. 4, and the corresponding shape of the wall 10, any tendency of the skylight to shift laterally under wind pressure causes the jaw 1' to be displaced outward of the receptacle recess, and the resilient reaction of the clamp to be increased correspondingly. The clamp is thus self-tightening under wind stresses. The clamp is fixed laterally on the base 6 by the serrations 11 of the jaw 1.

As is shown in FIG. 5, the receptacle for the short leg of the jaw 1 may be modified to provide it with a recess 1.0" whose walls are fiat, but approach each other inward of the recess. The modified receptacle also has a slot 12 in which the edge of the skylight rim may be received and soldered fast for further improving the connection between the receptacle and the skylight.

Other modifications and variations of the illustrated example of the invention will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. In a roof structure including a base defining an upwardly directed opening, a skylight dimensioned to cover the opening, and securing means securing the skylight to said base, the improvement in the fastening means which comprises:

(a) a plurality of approximately C-shaped clamps spaced about said opening, each clamp including (1) two substantially J-shaped jaws, each jaw having a longer leg portion formed with a slot, the slots extending in a common direction, a shorter leg portion approximately parallel to the longer leg portion, and a bight portion connecting said leg portions, said bight portions being substantially identical in shape,

(2) fastening means including a threaded fastener passing through said slots and fastening said longer leg portions of the two jaws to each other in a position in which the two longer leg portions extend substantially in said common direction, said fastening means permitting relative displacement of said longer leg portions in said common direction, while the free ends of the shorter leg portions move in respective transversely spaced planes parallel to said common direction,

(3) locking means including a nut threadedly engaging said fastener and locking said longer portions to each other and thereby fixing the relative position of said free ends, and

(4) a spacer interposed between said longer leg portions in simultaneous abutting engagement with the same;

(b) said skylight and said base having respective rim portions adjacent said opening, and means on each rim portion defining a face directed away from the corresponding face of the other rim portion,

(1) said free ends respectively abutting against said faces in said planes.

2. In a roof structure including a base defining an upwardly directed opening, a skylight dimensioned to cover the opening, and securing means securing the skylight to said base, the improvement in the fastening means which comprises:

(a) a plurality of approximately C-shape-d clamps spaced about said opening, each clamp including (1) two substantially J-shaped jaws, each jaw having a longer leg portion, a shorter leg portion approximately parallel to the longer leg portion, and a bight portion connecting said leg portions,

(2) fastening means fastening said longer leg portion, while the free ends of the shorter leg portions of the two jaws to each other in a position in which the two longer leg portions extend substantially in a common direction, said fastening means permitting relative displacement of said longer leg portions in said common direction, while the free ends of the shorter leg portions move in respectively transversely spaced planes parallel to said common direction, and

(3) locking means locking said longer leg portions to each other and thereby fixing the relative position of said free ends;

(b) said skylight and said base having respective rim portions adjacent said opening, and means on each rim portion defining a face directed away from the corresponding face of the other rim portion,

(1) said free ends respectively abutting against said faces in said planes, and

(2) one of said faces defining means including a receptacle formed with a recess therein, said recess tapering inward of said recess and having a wall constituting one of said faces, one of said free ends engaging said one face and tapering substantially to conform to said wall.

3. In a structure as set forth in claim 2, said longer leg portions being formed with respective slots extending in said common direction, said fastening means including a threaded fastener passing through said slots, and said locking means including a nut threadedly engaging said fastener.

4. In a structure as set forth in claim 3, said bight portions of said two jaws being substantially identical in shape, the clamp further comprising a spacer interposed between said longer leg portions in simultaneous abutting engagement with the same.

5. In a structure as set forth in claim 2, said one free end being rounded, and said wall being of arcuate cross section.

6. In a roof structure including a base defining an upwardly directed opening, a skylight dimensioned to cover the opening, and securing means securing the skylight to said base, the improvement in the fastening means which comprises:

(a) a plurality of approximately C-shaped clamps spaced about said opening, each clamp including (1) two substantially J-shaped jaws, each jaw having a longer leg portion, a shorter leg portion approximately parallel to the longer leg portion, and a bight portion connecting said leg portions,

(2) fastening means fastening said longer leg portions of the two jaws to each other in a position in which the two longer leg portions extend substantially in a common direction, said fastening means permitting relative displacement of said longer leg portions in said common direction, while the free ends of the shorter leg portions move in respective transversely spaced planes parallel to said common direction, and

(3) locking means locking said longer leg portions to each other and thereby fixing the relative position of said free ends;

(b) said skylight and said base having respective rim portions adjacent said opening, and means on each rim portion defining a face directed away from the corresponding face of the othe rim portion,

(1) said free ends respectively abutting against said faces in said planes, and

(2) one of said faces defining means including a receptacle formed with a slot,'said slot receiving one of said rim portions therein, said receptacle being further formed with a recess having a wall, said wall constituting one of said faces, and one of said free ends being received in said recess in abutting engagement with said wall.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,639,870 8/1927 Valsig 292-288X 1,845,338 2/1932 Querna 292-258 3,307,309 3/1967 Bloxsom 52200 3,340,656 9/1967 Mathieu 52200 FOREIGN PATENTS 234,352 6/1964 Austria 52200 1,419,371 10/1965 France 52200 OTHER REFERENCES Netherlands printed application, No. 6,414,776, Arnold et a1.

ALFRED C. PERHAM, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

